When a failure is detected of a communication link between a wireless access point and a service provider providing services to devices in proximity of said wireless access point, a probe request message is broadcasted on one or more wireless communication channels. The broadcasted probe request message includes a particular payload enabling the message to be identified as being a distress message reporting a failure of the communication link. Another wireless access point within wireless communication reach receiving a distress message may transfer a communication link failure report to the service provider in place of the wireless access point of which the communication link fails.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of communication failure reporting implemented by a first access point device, said method comprising: detecting, by said first access point device, a failure of said first access point device to communicate via a wide area network interface of said first access point device with a service provider of said first access point device; sending, by said first access point device operating in access point mode, AP mode, without the first access point device switching to station mode, STA mode, and without the first access point device establishing a connection in STA mode with said second access point device, via a wireless local area network interface of said first access point device, at least one probe request message on at least one wireless communication channel, said at least one probe request message comprising a payload enabling said at least one probe request message to be identified by at least a second access point device as a distress message representative of a reporting of said failure of said first access point device to communicate with said service provider via said wide area network interface of said first access point device, for generating a report and reporting, by said at least a second access point device, said failure to said service provider.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting, for said sending of at least one probe request message, at least one wireless communication channel on which a probe response message was received in reply to a probe request message previously sent by said first access point device for scanning wireless local area networks in proximity of said first access point device.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising selecting, for said sending of at least one probe request message, at least a second access point device having a same service provider as said first access point device, said same service provider being identified from information comprised in said probe response message.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said payload further comprises a Medium Access Control address of said wide area network interface of said first access point device.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said payload further comprises an Internet Protocol address of said first access point device.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said payload further comprises parameters of said first access point device, formatted according to a Technical Report 069 data model.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said payload further comprises parameters of said first access point device, formatted according to a Simple Network Management Protocol.
8. A method of communication failure reporting implemented by a second access point device, said method comprising: receiving, from a first access point device operating in access point mode, AP mode, on a wireless communication channel used by said second access point device for a local area network of said second access point device, at least one probe request message, said probe request message being received by said second access point device without the first access point device having established a connection with said second access point device; generating, by the second access point device, a report of a failure of said first access point device to communicate with a service provider of said first access point device when said at least one probe request message comprises a payload identifying said at least one probe request message as a distress message representative of said failure of said first access point device to communicate with said service provider; and transmitting the report, via a wide area network interface of said second access point device, to the service provider of said first access point device.
9. A first access point device, the first access point device comprising a processor, a memory, a wide area network interface and a wireless local area network interface, configured to: detect a failure of said first access point device to communicate via said wide area network interface with a service provider of said first access point device; and send, by said first access point device operating in access point mode, AP mode, without switching to station mode, STA mode, and without the first access point device establishing a connection with the second access point device, via said wireless local area network interface, at least one probe request message on at least one wireless communication channel, said at least one probe request message comprising a payload enabling said at least one probe request message to be identified by at least a second access point device as a distress message representative of a reporting of said failure of said first access point device to communicate via said wide area network interface with said service provider of said first access point device, for generating a report and reporting, by said at least a second access point device, said failure to said service provider.
10. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to select, for said sending of at least one probe request message, at least one wireless communication channel on which a probe response message was received in reply to a probe request message previously sent by said first access point device for scanning wireless local area networks in proximity of said first access point device.
11. The first access point device according to claim 10 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to select, for said sending of at least one probe request message, at least a second access point having a same service provider as said first access point device, said same service provider being identified from information comprised in said probe response message.
12. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to include in said payload a Medium Access Control address of said wide area network interface of said first access point device.
13. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to include in said payload an Internet Protocol address of said first access point device.
14. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to include in said payload parameters of said first access point device, formatted according to a Technical Report-069 data model.
15. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said processor, said memory, said wide area network interface and said wireless local area network interface are further configured to include in said payload parameters of said first access point device, formatted according to a Simple Network Management Protocol.
16. The first access point device according to claim 9 , wherein said first access point device is a home access gateway.
17. A second access point device comprising a processor, a memory, a wireless local area network interface and a wide area network interface, configured to: receive from a first access point device operating in access point mode, AP mode, and via said wireless local area network interface at least one probe request message on at least one wireless communication channel, said probe request message being received from said first access point device without the first access point device having established a connection with the second access point device, said at least one probe request message comprising a payload enabling said at least one probe request message to be identified by said second access point device as a distress message representative of a reporting of a communication failure between said first access point and said service provider over a wide area network interface of said first access point; generate a report based on said communication failure for said service provider of said first access point; and transmit the report to said service provider of said first access point via said wide area network interface of said second access point device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 25, 2018
January 26, 2021
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.